The aim of this leaflet

This Advice Sheet provides you with information on various learning materials for writing cover letters and resumes. It also suggests learning strategies and tips for improving relevant writing skills for job-seeking purposes.

Materials in the Language Commons

The books on job-seeking are located in the ‘Reading & Writing’ Area. If you have time, flip through the books on the shelf that you like and then decide which book(s) you find most useful. The next step is to identify the chapters in those books and plan realistically how you are going to use the materials. Do not attempt to finish the whole book no matter how good it is – only select the most useful chapters for yourself. Remember you are in charge of your learning so you decide what you want to learn, and how to do it.

• Writing into a Job C C
  It mainly teaches how to write resumes. It shows you how you can best describe yourself and present your qualifications by using appropriate words and styles; for example, you will find a list of adjectives describing yourself on p.7. Resumes of different styles are included and explained.

• Job Interviews for Dummies C
  Resumes for Dummies C
  Cover Letters for Dummies C

The ‘Dummies’ series are very easy to read. They show you how to write cover letters and resumes using a step-by-step approach. While the explanations are clear and the samples are useful, HKUST students should bear in mind that the Dummies series were published in America and the target readers are mainly American. Some advice given in the Dummies series, therefore, may not be suitable for fresh graduates or Hong Kong people. If you are not sure whether the tone and style of a particular letter is appropriate for you to adapt, you can check with an Adviser in the Language Commons.

• Write for the Job C
  It contains units on common errors, job application letters, resumes and even resignation letters. The explanations are clear and there are exercises to help you practise what you have learnt from the book.

• Technical Writing & Professional Communication, Part 4, pp. 187-205
  The first unit of Part 4 of this book offers useful information on writing resumes and job letters. This will be particularly useful for students who are studying engineering or science subjects.

• Business Writing for Hong Kong, Part 2, pp. 193 – 224
  Specially written for Hong Kong people. Part 2 of this book shows you how you can produce winning job applications.

• The Complete Book of Contemporary Business Letters
  Chapter 11 of this books offers comprehensive information on writing different types of job-seeking related documents. Topics include: resignation letters, resumes, cover letters, thank-you letters and so on.

Materials on the Web

• Job application sills resources [HKUST] CCC
  //cle.hkust.edu.hk/archive/2021/online_resources/jobseek/
  The target readers are final-year undergraduates at HKUST. This website provides a comprehensive set of web-based information covering self-analysis, job & company analysis, resume writing, cover letter writing and interviewing. Highly recommended.

• California job search guide CC
  http://jobstar.org/tools/resume/
  A very comprehensive site for cover letters and resumes. It provides sample cover letters and resumes and shows you how to produce yours. You should, however, note that the information in the website is mainly for American, so the tone and style embedded in the sample documents may be very different from those you are used to. If you have queries about tone and style of these documents, please talk to our Language Commons Advisers.
• Best College cover letters CC
  http://www.collegegrad.com/index.shtml
  It covers almost every aspect of writing for job hunting. The information and advice is excellent but again you need to be aware that the target audience are mainly US college graduates.
• The Dynamic Cover Letters Formula C
  http://www.quintcareers.com/cover_letters.html
  There are some useful tips for writing resumes and cover letters. This is also another US-based website.
• Resume and cover letters [Helsinki University of Technology, Finland]
  http://www.ruthvilmi.net/hut/LangHelp/Writing/#business
  This website offers comprehensive information on writing of CV and cover letters. There are also useful writing tips in the same website.
• Examples of resumes and cover letters [Austin Community College, USA]
  http://www.io.com/~hcexres/tcm1603/acchtml/models.html
  You will find useful examples of CV and cover letters, with clear explanations.

• Resumes [Minnesota Workforce Center]
  http://www.mnworkforcecenter.org/cjs/cjs_site/resume.htm
  You will find clear explanations on how to write an effective resume for yourself. There are also sample resumes. Please note that the target audience here are US college students.
• Resume Writing [Mount Holyoke College, USA]
  http://www.mtholyoke.edu/offices/careers/handouts/resw.pdf
  Clear explanations with sample resumes.
• Cover letters and thank you letters [Minnesota Workforce Center]
  http://www.mnworkforcecenter.org/cjs/cjs_site/letters.htm
  Quick revision of formats, with useful examples. Though the target audience are probably US college students, HK students will also find useful information there.
• Application letters [Austin Community College, USA]
  http://www.io.com/~hcexres/tcm1603/acchtml/applic.html
  Comprehensive explanations plus lots of sample cover letters.
• Cover letter and thank-you letter writing [Mount Holyoke College, USA]
  http://www.mtholyoke.edu/offices/careers/handouts/clty.pdf
  The information is concise and useful, including action words, samples and writing tips.
• Thank-you notes [Minnesota Workforce Center , USA]
  http://www.mnworkforcecenter.org/cjs/cjs_site/letters.htm
  It shows you how to write effective thank-you letters.

Some advice …

Some people say that a cover letter is a sales letter – that you are selling your qualifications to your potential employers. If so, then it is obvious that you should never hard-sell yourselves. You don’t want to put people off, do you?

When writing a cover letter:

When writing a resume:

Learning tips

• Looking for a crash course (intensive course hoping for quick results) on how to write cover letters and resumes? You can try the websites under ‘Quick revision and samples’. You will also find Unit 9 of Business Writing for Hong Kong and the ‘Job Seeking’ folder useful.
• If you want to look at examples of authentic resumes and cover letters, try the CD-ROM materials. The CD-ROM materials are near the entrance of the main entrance of the Language Commons.
• You can make an appointment with the English Writing Centre (EWC) and ask the EWC consultant to comment on your resumes and job application letters. You can ask in the Language Commons for information about the EWC, or check the EWC home page: http://lc.ust.hk/~ewc/ for more details.
• Do a Diagnostic test with either AutoLANG or other materials (please read Writing Advice Sheet W2 and Grammar Advice Sheet G3 for information on this), find out your weaknesses in writing and then decide what practice you need to improve your writing skills. You need to identify the areas that need improvement — simply writing more won’t necessarily make your writing better.
• For an introduction to the styles and basic structures of business writing, read Chapters 1 and 2 of A Handbook of Commercial Correspondence, Chapters 1-3 of Business English and Communication, or Part 1 of Business Writing for Hong Kong.
• Come to the Lobby of the Language Commons and look for this monthly language learning magazine: The Language Key. If you are always busy and feel that you can’t do your self-learning regularly and systematically, you will find this magazine useful. There are different foci in different issues so even if you don’t have time to devise your own learning plan, you are still able to do your learning systematically.
• In writing, do you often feel that you lack the vocabulary you need? If this is the case, read the Advice Sheet Learning Vocabulary for Speaking and Writing (V8).
• Do you feel that you need to improve the grammar and sentence structures in your writing? If so, read the Grammar Advice Sheets Grammar For Writing (G4), and Sentence Structure & Style (W5).
• Read the Writing Advice Sheet Developing your own Writing Programme (W2) for information on writing strategies and tips for creating writing opportunities.

And Now…

If you would like any help or advice, or just a chat about your progress, please get in touch — we are here to support your independent learning! This is how you can contact us:

• see an Adviser, on duty at the Language Commons Advice Desk (for details of advisers and their availability, please go to http://lc.ust.hk/~sac/sacadviser.html)
• e-mail lccommons (lccommons@ust.hk) with your query;
• ask at the reception counter of the Language Commons — if the receptionist cannot help you directly, s/he will pass your query on to one of the Language Commons advisers

Note

The introductory leaflet in this series is Improving your writing (W1).

This advice sheet is part of the Writing series of leaflets supporting language learning, produced by the HKUST Center for Language Education Language Commons team. This advice sheet was written by Elza Tsang, Oct 2001. Version 2. If you copy from this advice sheet, please acknowledge the source. Thanks.